Excitement From Ephesians

Excitement

From

Ephesians

Every Spiritual Blessing

The ancient world was just as full of confusion in matters religious as the modern. Thus it was that Paul, having his apostleship stamped by the miracles and signs which attended his progress, in addressing the brethren at Ephesus, introduced himself as an apostle and one who could therefore clear away contradictions, doubts, and fears generated by the devil. "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God," he wrote, "to the saints at Ephesus, and who are faithful in Christ Jesus.' Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 1:1,2). This exponent of truth, then, addressed the congregation as saints not sinners, and as faithful in Christ rather than as rebellious renegades. This was not an attempt to falsely ingratiate himself with the disciples, nor was it an effort to brush the weaknesses in Ephesus under the carpet and not deal with them; instead it was the Holy Spirit's desire to paint their picture in present positive, affirmative tones, eventually securing thereby that elevated behavior.

The customary, though earnest, sincere, and important, prayers for grace and peace to the brethren, connected with greetings from the Father and the Lord Jesus, being delivered, the apostle hurried on to his introductory notes:

  • Blessed be God - Christians generally speak of themselves as blessed by God, that the Father is the bestower of blessings. But God Himself is often blessed, or made happy, by what He is able to do for the faithful whom He extracts from the entanglements of earth. When Joseph and Mary brought the Child Jesus to the temple for His circumcision, according to the custom of the Law, old Simon "took Him into his arms and blessed God" (Luke 2:28). "For my eyes have seen Your salvation," said he, "which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles,' and the glory of Your people Israel" (Luke 2:30-32). God was blessed by Simon because of what God Himself was going to do for all the peoples. The Father is blessed because of what He can give! May we become partakers of His divine nature. "Blessed," indeed, "be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 1:3).
  • Every spiritual blessing - Contrary to popular opinion, God has not promised to bless His children with every material blessing. Of the most blessed of all men, chosen by the Lord Himself to be His missionaries, His apostles, Paul wrote, "To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed and are roughly treated, and are homeless" (I Corinthians 4:11). Instead of material blessings, the Father "has blessed us with every spiritual blessing." The spiritual blessings of forgiveness, the indwelling Spirit, fellowship with God, and a host of others belong to Christians as a result of the mercies of God.
  • In the heavenly places - He "has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 1:3). Christians need to recognize that they walk by faith and not by sight. While by sight their bodies dwell on earth, by faith they dwell in the heavenlies with Christ. And only by comprehending their spiritual dwelling places can they begin to put the proper significance of the spiritual blessings derived from dwelling there with Christ.

Blessed is the God who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. And may we count those blessings with the proper emphasis on the spiritual rather than the physical.

Adopted Into The Royal Family

Many great stories of adoption can be told! Ranging from true accounts of little girls being adopted from desperate situations and raised by Christian families to great classic fictional work of Ben Hur by Lew Wallace, these depictions all carry the message of the underlying love of the adoptive parents and the full rights of the adopted children. What a picture it was when Judah Ben-Hur, taken from the darkened appointment of a Jewish galley slave and elevated to the position of Roman tribune by adoption, stamped the seal of his noble office into fresh wax in the presence of his astonished former friend and current enemy.

But the greatest of adoptions occurs in the spiritual realm. None of the rags-to-riches, low-estate-to-high-rank stories compares with that which God has done through Christ Jesus for His chosen saints. "In love," wrote the former Saul of Tarsus, "He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the beloved" (Ephesians 1:4-6).

  • Adopted through Christ - The rank of Roman tribune did not even come close to comparing with what it means to be a son of God. No title of nobility was ever bestowed in Western Europe, which remotely matches what it is to be one of the royal priesthood. The great love of God for a fallen race is nowhere more exhibited than in His foreordained plan, executed through the message of the Christ, by which he lifts men from the squalid gutters of sin and exalts them to His right hand in Christ Jesus. "In love He predestined us to adoption as sons."
  • So that the greatness of His grace might be praised - Even earthly kings want to be known for their kindness and beneficence, although they are generally neither kind nor benevolent. How much more, then, the great God and Father of all, who in His great kindness and mercy, has made it possible for "whoever will" to be forgiven for his offenses against His Majesty, and to be adopted as a son of the King! This adoption was the exhibition of "the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace."
  • Grace freely bestowed - There can be no question with regard to the undeserved nature of God's grace towards those who have received the adoption as sons. Rebellious, hard-hearted, full of envy and slander, they are not fit for service in the heavenly courts in the presence of the King. But when anyone will carry out his portion of the formal adoption proceedings, being immersed as properly penitent into Christ, then all past grievances are forgotten, and a new character as befits the courtiers of heaven is bestowed.

Who, upon the dawning of comprehension of the greatness of this adoption, could not fail to proclaim the glory of the grace of Him who made it not only possible but a reality? Who, in being now fitted in the livery of attendants upon the great throne on high, would be willing to disgrace his new office? Who, in recognizing the great love and risk the King had taken in adopting into the royal family such a sinner, would be willing to overthrow that love and compassion, and be once again enticed into the squalor of his former life? "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14).

Chosen Before The Foundation

The idea that God can foreknow events is difficult for man to understand. This is particularly true when the concept of pre-determination is coupled with its apparent opposite, free will. "If man has freedom of choice, then how can God predestine?" is one question. And the other: "If God predestines, how can man have choice?" Yet the scripture affirms that both are true. "Choose this day whom you will serve," echo the ageless words of Joshua. Biblical preaching always exhorted the hearers to make the right choice (Joshua 24:15). "Therefore, brethren," proclaimed the apostle Peter, "be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you" (II Peter 1:10). Man exercises free will; God foreknows and predestines.

In Ephesians 1:3-12 Paul specifically discussed the relationship of the apostles of Jesus Christ to the Lord, bringing up such subjects as spiritual blessings in Christ, adoption as sons, redemption, and grace. The rest of the New Testament writings make it clear that these same characteristics by extension belong to all who are in Christ.

  • Chosen in Christ - Having pointed out that the Father blessed those in Christ with every spiritual blessing, the imprisoned apostle added, "... just as He chose us before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him" (Ephesians 1:4). God has a specific plan in choosing. Those who are of "an honest and good heart," (Luke 8:15), are selected out by God's harvesting process. "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword,...and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). The Bible is perfectly designed to separate out those who truly love and honor God from those who do not care, or simply pretend to care. Those who obey the gospel and remain faithful are the chosen.
  • Before the foundation of the world - Man has a hard time comprehending those things which happen within the realm of time, much less those, which occur outside that created dimension. Various explanations have been offered to try to assist the struggling disciple understand the timelessness of God, such as God's being able to see the whole parade of history from beginning to end, whereas man has to look at it through a peephole in a wooden wall. While those illustrations are helpful, they must of necessity fall short. God's eternal plan, "before the foundation of the world," was that the followers of Christ should be chosen through the message of the gospel.
  • Holy and blameless in Him - The all wise Father does not operate on a willy-nilly, random basis. With Him all has a purpose; every step of His proceeds faithfully to a pre-set goal. And His goal in calling and choosing from the Jew and Gentile a people for His name is that "we should be holy and blameless in Him." The imputed holiness and blamelessness granted in Christ is God's mechanism by which the faithful disciple of the Lord is transformed into one whose conduct is truly holy and blameless. As the apostle John stated: "The one who practices righteousness is righteous" (I John 3:7).

God in His great mercy has made it possible for an alienated sinner to be reconciled to Him through the gospel. Each Christian of a good and honest heart must be in constant remembrance of the love of God, and God's willingness to choose him out of the world, recognizing how special he is to be so chosen. But he must also be cognizant that the purpose of God's choosing, set in motion before the foundation of the world, is that the child of God should be holy and blameless. Step up to the performance line, and be that way!

Release To The Captives

Kidnapped! Sometimes the headlines snap a nation to attention when the son or daughter of a famous family is stolen away, and a ransom note is delivered. For weeks or months the news media occupy the public with accounts of police efforts to locate the lost child. Banner headlines mark the progress and constant coverage details the delivery of the ransom money, and the whole country breathes relief when the perpetrators are finally brought to bay.

But as heinous a crime as the kidnapping of a child is, it pales to insignificance next to the destruction brought on by Satan the deceiver. Into house after house he enters, carrying off into the land of oblivion those who are exposed for his picking, who are enticed into sin by the combination of their own lust and the devil's whisperings. And they are kidnapped. In the words of the scripture, they are in "the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will" (II Timothy 2:26). But, praise be to the Almighty, a Rescuer has come from Zion, to deliver Jacob from his transgression.

  • The ransom paid - "In Him," explained Paul to the Ephesian brethren, "we have redemption through His blood" (Ephesians 1:7). The ransom price, or redemption, for the soul of the kidnapped brother is not measured in bank notes, or even silver or gold. "You were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers," averred Peter in agreement with Paul, "but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ" (I Peter 1:18,19). What a price!
  • Forgiveness granted - "We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace." Normally the ransom money covers the amount required to release the captive. But in the case of the blood of Jesus, not only is freedom for the ensnared purchased, but the price for all sins, future as well as past, is paid. The bank account from which these resources are drawn must be deep indeed, especially when all the brethren who most draw on this account are taken into consideration. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for having provided a more than sufficient amount "according to the riches of His grace."
  • Grace Lavished - This grace, said the apostle, was "lavished upon us." Sometimes brethren wonder if God really can forgive them. While it is true that Christians are not to take advantage of God's deep pockets, the sincere individual who is honestly trying to get it right has as many resources as he needs to cover his indebtedness. The Father in heaven wants His children to have the strength to be out there changing the world, not drowning in their own sorrows. So the grace of God, like lots of extra gravy on potatoes, was lavished upon us.

When Jesus spoke at His home synagogue in Nazareth, He quoted His purpose as prophesied by Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are down-trodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:18,19). There are so many blessings in Christ. In Christ a person is a new creation. In Christ there is no condemnation. In Christ disciples have redemption through His blood. In Christ brethren have access to the riches of His grace, and in the strength He provides, in Christ they can overwhelmingly conquer. What an abundant life!

Knowing The Plan of God

"No longer do I call you slaves,," Jesus told the twelve minus Judas. "The slave does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you" (John 15:15). For the first time in the history of the world were the servants of God going to be "let in on" the plan of God so that they could function with initiative on their parts to fulfill the strategy for world conquest. Up to this point even the prophets of old had to flounder, taking orders without knowing the overall purpose of their action and preaching, speaking of the future redemption, but not knowing how it was to be accomplished. "As to this salvation," explained Peter, "prophets who prophesied the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow, It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven - things into which angels long to look" (I Peter 1:10-11). Those who preached the gospel to us by the Holy Spirit are those selfsame apostles.

  • The wisdom of God - "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!" (Romans 11:33). When God in His wisdom acts, sojourners of the earth should pay careful attention. "In all wisdom and insight," expounded Paul, "He made known to us the mystery of His will" (Ephesians 1:8,9). Through the inspiration given the apostles, the great God of the universe has made known His long secret plan. Those with an interest in spiritual things will appreciate this condescension from One so great to share with ones so small.
  • The mystery of His will - The Lord of all does not act without purpose or planning. "He made known to us," Paul referred to himself and the other apostles, "the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which lie purposed in Him [Christ] with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ things in the heavens and things upon the earth" (Ephesians 1:9,10). God's purpose from the beginning has been to bring everything together in Christ. Consider, then, the importance of preaching and teaching the gospel of Christ, and the significance of each person who participates in the spread of the word!
  • The suitable administration - Like a great general, the Father knows when to execute segments of His battle plan. The Commander-in-Chief knew when to call Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldeans, and when Moses was to bring Israel out of Egypt. "At the right time," says scripture, "Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6). As the church continues to carry out the battle plan, the Lord Himself "has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead" (Acts 17:31). God knows when the time is fulfilled.

This mystery was first made known to the apostles, as the apostle Paul indicated to the community of saints in Ephesus. But as their writings, and those of selected New Covenant prophets, were assembled by the Providence of the Almighty, all brethren now hold in their hands the complete revelation of this mystery. May we regard with care and excitement the sacred trust committed to us!